OBJECTIVE: To evaluate individual finger synchronized robot-assisted hand rehabilitation in stroke patients. DESIGN: Prospective parallel group randomized controlled clinical trial. SUBJECTS: The study recruited patients who were >= 18 years old, more than three months post stroke, showed limited index finger movement and had weakened and impaired hand function. Patients with severe sensory loss, spasticity, apraxia, aphasia, disabling hand disease, impaired consciousness or depression were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Patients received either four weeks (20 sessions) of active robot-assisted intervention (the FTI (full-term intervention) group, 9 patients) or two weeks (10 sessions) of early passive therapy followed by two weeks (10 sessions) of active robot-assisted intervention (the HTI (half-term intervention) group, 8 patients). Patients underwent arm function assessments prior to therapy (baseline), and at 2, 4 and 8 weeks after starting therapy. RESULTS: Compared to baseline, both the FTI and HTI groups showed improved results for the Jebsen Taylor test, the wrist and hand subportion of the Fugl-Meyer arm motor scale, active movement of the 2nd metacarpophalangeal joint, grasping, and pinching power (p < 0.05 for all) at each time point (2, 4 and 8 weeks), with a greater degree of improvement for the FTI compared to the HTI group (p < 0.05); for example, in Jebsen Taylor test (65.9 +/- 36.5 versus 46.4 +/- 37.4) and wrist and hand subportion of the Fugl-Meyer arm motor scale (4.3 +/- 1.9 versus 3.4 +/- 2.5) after eight weeks. CONCLUSIONS: A four-week rehabilitation using a novel robot that provides individual finger synchronization resulted in a dose-dependent improvement in hand function in subacute to chronic stroke patients.

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